Author: On Common Ground News

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – In the face of a surging number of cases of COVID-19, Gwinnett County is requiring face masks or face coverings for all visitors and employees while inside county buildings and facilities effective Tuesday, Jan. 26. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Gwinnett leads the state in total number of cases with 68,603 cases as of Friday, Jan. 22. Of those, 643 people have died. Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners  Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson last week signed the executive emergency order on Jan. 19. The order cites face mask recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to…

ATLANTA – State Representatives Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta) and David Wilkerson (D-Powder Springs) will host the first of a series of virtual town hall meetings to discuss the State of Georgia’s jails on today, Jan. 25, 10 a.m. via Zoom. To view a Facebook live stream of the meeting, please click here. During this initial town hall meeting, legislators will hear from those who have lost family members in Georgia jails, as well as address the need to have greater accountability to prevent future deaths. Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens will also present his plans to…

The Gwinnett County Department of Community Services has combined its Gwinnett L.I.F.E., Gwinnett Extend and OneSTOP program guides into one publication called InGwinnett to make it easier for residents to learn about programs, events and experiences in our community. Published twice times a year, InGwinnett features information about six months’ worth of Community Services’ aquatic and sports activities, events, club and group opportunities, and educational, recreational and wellness programs. Along with events and activities, the new publication will showcase various amenities and rental options available at Community Services’ locations. It will also highlight services offered by the department’s different divisions:…

ATLANTA – Businesses will have the opportunity to operate sidewalk kiosks in downtown Atlanta under an enhanced licensing program the city is launching this spring.    Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced reforms to the city’s public kiosk program to enhance economic development and  create greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and microbusinesses. The program, managed by the Department of City Planning, contains 17 brick-and-mortar kiosks located on sidewalks throughout downtown where small business owners may sell retail and concession items to passersby. “These reforms are designed to create better opportunities for small downtown businesses and improve the outdoor shopping experience in…

Courtney Desilet In commemoration of National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston is hosting a virtual community forum, Human Trafficking & Our Youth: Focusing On Our Most Vulnerable Victims, to raise awareness about this critical issue. The event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 12:30-1:30 p.m. The program will feature a presentation by Courtney Desilet, instructor, Spector Criminal Justice Training Network. Desilet currently serves on a National Child Sex Trafficking Recovery Services Team and is a retired sworn Law Enforcement Investigator in Connecticut. During her time in law enforcement…

DECATUR – A sixth grader who sought to bring “happiness and hope” to health care workers by playing his trumpet outside Emory Decatur Hospital was featured as part of the historic Jan. 20 inauguration for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Jason Zgonc, a resident of  Decatur, Georgia, was selected out of many participants around the country to perform on Inauguration Day virtually. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, many inauguration activities were held virtually and Jason was featured during the parade segment where he performed  “God Bless America” at Emory Decatur Hospital with health care workers watching in the…

DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw will begin his fourth year of “Quarterly in the Fourth” community breakfast meetings that will be held virtually for the foreseeable future. “I have missed having in-person community meetings with constituents and I hope that at some point this year we will be able to resume these meetings at community-based locations,” Bradshaw said. Bradshaw will host his first 2021 community breakfast meeting on Saturday, Jan. 23, via Zoom. The focus of these community meetings is to provide residents with information and resources and to address the concerns of constituents.…

The Rockdale County House Legislative Delegation has elected State Rep. Rhonda Taylor(D-Conyers) was its chair. Taylor was newly elected as a state lawmaker by voters on Nov. 3, 2020 to represent District 91. In addition to electing Taylor as chair, the delegation elected State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) as vice chair and State Rep. Regina Lewis-Ward (D-McDonough) as secretary. The delegation held elections on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The new officers will lead the delegation during the 2021-2022 legislative term. “It is an honor to serve Rockdale County citizens in this capacity during my first term as a state representative,” said Taylor.  “Over the…